German-Arab Literature Exchange
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Cairo International Book Fair 2015
Navigating the jungle
70 million books, 47 participating countries, 850 publishers ... and all for an admission price of just under ten cents. After 46 years, the Cairo International Book Fair is not only the oldest in the Arab world; with one million visitors, it is also the second largest book fair on the planet. By Amira El Ahl in Cairo
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Fadhil al-Azzawi's novel "The Last of the Angels"
Topical, thrilling and entertaining – even after 25 years
The publication of Fadhil al-Azzawi's novel in German translation is a sensation on the German book market, and its publication a late tribute to the internationally-renowned Iraqi author who wrote it 25 years ago. While "The Last of the Angels" remained unknown in Germany for a long time, the novel is already highly acclaimed in the Arabic- and English-speaking world. By Volker Kaminski
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Book review: "The Last Place" by Sherko Fatah
A book about intercultural misunderstandings
Just like his novel "The Dark Ship", Sherko Fatah's latest book is alarmingly topical: one of the characters, the kidnapper Abdul, stands for all the radical Islamists who mourn the bygone days of Mesopotamia and embrace a fundamentalist worldview. Claudia Kramatschek spoke to the author about his new novel
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Interview with literary translator Hartmut Faehndrich
"What I don't see is an on-going interest in Arabic literature"
Hartmut Faehndrich is one of the most renowned translators of Arabic literature in the German-speaking world. He has translated nearly 60 novels into German. In this interview with Ruth Renée Reif, he explains why Arabic literature is undervalued in the German-speaking world
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International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2014: "Frankenstein in Baghdad"
Beyond good and evil
Ahmed Saadawi's novel "Frankenstein in Baghdad" has won the 2014 International Prize for Arabic Fiction. Khaled Hroub presents the book
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Cairo International Book Fair 2014
Reader, where art thou?
Many Egyptians are avoiding this year's Cairo International Book Fair for fear of new outbreaks of violence or terrorist attacks. Publishers are complaining about intolerable conditions and a lack of planning. By Amira El Ahl in Cairo
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Interview with Saudi Arabian writer Raja Alem
"When I write I am free, like flying in my dreams"
The Saudi writer Raja Alem is an outstanding voice in Arabic literature. Zurich's Unionsverlag has just published the German translation of her novel "The Doves' Necklace", which won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2011. Ruth Reif spoke to Raja Alem about her work and influences
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Translations of Classical Islamic Literature
From the Emotional Orient to the Distortion of Islam
Why does classical Oriental poetry still sound so ornate to western ears? Blame the translations. These are still following the model of the eighteenth century, when the myth arose that Islamic poets were sentimental geniuses in the realm of emotion and romance. An essay by Stefan Weidner
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German Bookshop Lehnert & Landrock
The Dangerous Job of Selling Books in Cairo
Edouard Lambelet's well-known German bookshop is located close to Tahrir Square in Cairo. The bookseller has lived through many conflicts in Egypt, but for the first time, he's now considering throwing in the towel. Holger Heimann reports
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Egyptian Literature
New Departures, New Visions
Current novels from Egypt tell about people's daily struggle for survival, about their suffering in the face of state violence and corruption, and about managing to get by with the help of tricks and humour. Egyptian literature is available in translation in various forms – from the spontaneous blog to the social novel. By Susanna Schanda
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Interview with Egyptian Writer Khaled Alkhamissi
''We Are Living in a Vibrant Social Era in Egypt''
Best-selling author and journalist Khaled Alkhamissi is one of the sharpest observers of Egyptian society. In his novels Taxi and Noah's Ark he foretold the fall of the Mubarak regime. Bettina Kolb spoke to him about a revolution that is far from over
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Interview with the Syrian Writer Rosa Yassin Hassan
Touched by Magic
Until a few months ago, Rosa Yassin Hassan was filing daily reports on the war in Syria in her blog, "Diary of the Syrian Revolution". Her accounts detailed both the suffering of civilians and the brutal acts committed by both the regime and the opposition. Persecuted by the regime, she fled to Germany in the autumn of 2012. Laura Overmeyer spoke to her